A new family's Merry ChristmasAs of Monday, there were 621 children across Arkansas whose parents’ rights have been terminated and who have no “forever family” with whom to share this Christmas. Unlike last year, Robert, 17, is not one of them. Instead, Robert is celebrating the holiday for the first time with Todd and Gwynn Harris, now known to him as Dad and Mom. All three names have been changed for this column. Robert’s biological parents’ rights were terminated in 201...

The great need for character educationCONWAY — Over the years there have been thousands, perhaps millions, of people who have made this comment, “I had rather see a good sermon than to hear one any day.” If you live here in my community, I have a good candidate that I would like to recommend to you. Now please do not misunderstand what I am saying. No one is perfect but they possess the attributes and qualities that our young people can look up to and learn from. We need that more...

Uncertainty surrounds gay marriage caseLITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Supreme Court’s biggest piece of unfinished business as it wraps up 2014 — whether the state’s ban on same-sex marriage is constitutional — is the one that will have the most far-reaching effects for the state. horny issue. With less than two weeks left in the year, justices have yet to issue a decision about the 2004 constitutional amendment and earlier state law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. And d...

Getting back in touch with old friendsOur amazing ability to communicate with people in faraway places has put me in touch this holiday season with some old friends and allowed me to make some new ones. Modern connectivity can be a blessing. This story goes back to Danner Hall on the campus of then-Arkansas State College in the mid-1960s and involved several friends who later went their own ways and at times lost track of each other. I’ve written previously about two of them — bri...

Gratitude and grace overcoming fearLITTLE ROCK — On Thanksgiving, I was invited to speak about the power of gratitude to the congregation of Little Rock’s Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. As we celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas, the central message of that day continues to hold strong: When your mind is set upon grace and gratitude, there is one thing you must not give in to, and that is fear. Fear saps your power faster than anything else. It creates doubt and distrust and insecuri...

'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over'LITTLE ROCK — The month of December is one of the busiest on the nation’s roadways, and also one of the most dangerous. With the holidays coming up, there will be an increase in social events that involve alcohol, and data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that this results in an increase fatal drunk-driving crashes around the holidays. Arkansas State Police has joined other state and local law enforcement agencies ...

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State House of RepresentativesThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Tortured reasoningCritics and defenders of the harsh interrogation methods applied to captured terrorists can argue forever over whether those methods were “torture.” But any serious discussion of a serious issue — and surely terrorism qualifies as serious — has to move beyond semantics and confront the ultimate question: “Compared to what alternative?” If you knew that there was a hidden nuclear time bomb planted somewhere in New York City — set to go off toda...

Holidays and a mother's loveThis is my second Christmas season without my mother, and so far it’s been harder than the first. I had known that the first year would be hard, and all I really cared about was surviving it. Activity was my friend: My sister Kathy and I spent the fall wrapping up her estate, selling her house, sharing her prized possessions with family and friends. We talked every day. Much of our connection was activity-based: Was her account closed? Were th...

A vote for common senseCONWAY — One of the best compliments I have received in a long time came from the publisher of a weekly newspaper that runs this column in a small town in Western Kansas. The Spearville News has run my column for about four years now, and while the rate is very modest, the publisher has paid me for six months in advance from the beginning, and he sends me a check without a statement, usually with a brief note. When I received the last check, B...

The rules of war need updatingThe attack on a cafe in Sydney, Australia, by a self-described Islamic cleric with a long police record, left two hostages dead, along with the cleric, one Man Haron Monis. He was an Iranian refugee who enjoyed the hospitality and protection of the Australian government. That incident, which was televised worldwide, was quickly eclipsed by the murder of 145 people at an army-run school in Peshawar, Pakistan. Many of the dead were children. Pre...

Time is right for U.S. and CubaMEXICO CITY — After 53 years of hostility between the United States and Cuba, the timing to make amends was perfect for both governments. The breakthrough in U.S.-Cuban relations came with the release of American Alan Gross and an unnamed U.S. intelligence agent, and the freeing of three jailed Cuban agents. The longtime enemies announced they would move toward full diplomatic relations, and Washington said it would ease economic and travel re...

K through Job educationThe elected official in the state Capitol making the biggest impact next year will be Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson. The second most impactful elected official may be a 74-year-old grandmother with an agenda. That would be Sen. Jane English, R-North Little Rock. English spent her career in economic development and will use her chairmanship of the Senate Education Committee to try to change how Arkansas educates and develops its workers. She says t...

Keeping inmates from returningOne of the main reasons Arkansas’ prison system is so crowded that more than 2,500 state inmates are being held in county jails can be blamed on the fact that so many keep coming back for more punishment. After serving some time, generally about one-sixth of the sentence under good behavior rules, a state inmate is released. By that time the state has given him several chances to straighten up. However, state Department of Correction numbers s...

Christmas books put events into perspectiveThis year, Christmas shopping may be an especially welcome respite from the ugly events going on across the country, as mobs take to the streets because grand juries that examined evidence reached different conclusions from those reached by mobs who made up their minds without examining that evidence. Perhaps more than in other years, shopping malls can become shopping mauls. One of the ways to make Christmas shopping less stressful is to give...

Panel changes pay raise debateLITTLE ROCK — A newly formed commission meeting this week to review and adjust Arkansas elected officials’ salaries changes the dynamic of a long-running debate among policymakers. Arkansas’ pay for governor, legislators and other elected positions pale when compared to most states, but there’s little political upside to increasing those salaries. Approved by voters last month, the Independent Citizens Commission will hold its first meeting Th...

Vilonia's returnLITTLE ROCK — By objective measures, 2014 has been a fairly calm year weather-wise in Arkansas. We’ve seen instances of drought, wildfires and flooding, but they’ve been fewer when compared to historic instances in the past five years. There were some extreme conditions in the winter and summer, but again, nothing unusually lengthy or unprecedented. Even Arkansas’ tornado count has been below our annual average, and most of the storms we have ...

Holiday giving in ArkansasThe holidays in Arkansas are rich with giving traditions. Just think about the many toy drives and coat drives taking place in your schools and churches. Bell ringers greet you now at many stores providing you an opportunity to help those less fortunate. It is estimated that 17 percent of all giving occurs during the month of December. We encourage every family to give what they can this year. We also want to make sure your generosity is direc...

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State House of RepresentativesThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Should legislators get a raise?Let’s start by emphasizing that I was the one who brought up the subject with Rep.-elect Ron McNair, R-Alpena. He did not approach me to complain in print. The subject is pay for state legislators. McNair owns an auto shop in Alpena in north Arkansas. He is his only employee. He’s been an unpaid school board member almost 30 years. He narrowly won the Republican primary in May and didn’t face a Democratic opponent, so he’s been driving back an...

The story of grandpa's handsMost people have heard the saying, “You don’t miss the water until the well is dry.” This simply means that we don’t really miss something of great value, until it’s gone. Have you ever really looked at your hands and thought, “How would I get along without them, either one hand or both?” To bring some perspective to these haunting thoughts, please allow me to share this article with you because I believe it will give you, as it has me, a grea...

Did somebody say 'Clear the field?'We all know people who believe that they know more than we do, who look down on us and believe that they are better than we are. They believe they are smarter than the rest of us, and if they have control, then they can control the outcome and make whatever it is better. This is the same belief that led the U.S.S.R. into centralized planning and control. We all know what happened to the Soviet Union. Contrast this to President Reagan’s belief ...